No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

As you can tell from reading, Her name is Abigail part 1, Her name is Abigail part 2, Her name is Abigail part 3 and a Beautiful day to sit on the side of the road, I have been having a few car troubles. Husband and I had 3 vehicles, and now we are down to one car. One is in the shop and will be worked on sometime in the first week of September and the second one was just dropped off so we don't know when it will be worked on.

Having such different work schedules we could have probably made having one car work for about 1-2 days but soon it will be too complicated, worry some and stressful. I suggested that we rent a car for a few days until one of the vehicles was repaired. He agreed with needing a second vehicle but instead of a rental company called his family to see if we could borrow something. His aunt said we could borrow a truck and I was very thankful and to have that option.

We then took a nice drive up Route 11, stopped by Dinosaur Kingdom II, for a visit before hanging out with his grandparents and his parents for the day.

Sidebar, if you live in southwest Virginia and have not stopped by Dinosaur Kingdom II, your really should. Honestly, it is hard to describe except to keep an open mind and take in for what it is, just a neat little walk through the woods.

Back to the story.

Where Husband's family lives in Rockbridge County, they do not have weekly trash days like we do. You take your trash to community dumpsters. The truck we were borrowing had a few items that needed to be dumped, so before we left his parents we also picked up some of their trash since we had to stop by the dumpster anyway.

After southern goodbye-ing for about an hour, we finally started down the road about 9pm.

I was in the truck, Husband was in his car and I was in lead. I missed the pull off for the dumpster probably by about 5 miles. So we turned around with Husband leading and he brought us to the right place. We quickly unloaded all the trash and had a debate of who should take lead on the way back home. I was new to driving the truck and couldn't decide what to do so he said I'll take lead and see you at the gas station.

Husband pulled out and I followed after him. We made it down the road probably about a mile before I saw his brake lights go on, the screeching of tires, the sound of a thud and then his car pulling ahead to the side of the road.

Since I had been going slower I had time to slow down but not slow enough. He had just hit a deer, the poor thing was either in shock and had come back into the road or hadn't left. The end result is that I too hit the thing, but since I was in a truck and higher it just went down underneath my tires vs really hitting anything.

Scared, confused, and unsure what to do I pulled behind where Husband had parked on the side of the road.  I got out of the car and started to cry. It was one of those shaking all over, not able to breathe, while tears just slide slowly down your face.

Husband was checking out his car and when he saw me he came over and was like are you okay? Is the truck okay? I was like I hit the deer too. Is your car okay? He was like it's still running.

I'm standing between the two vehicles, all the lights are on and I am just standing there shaking and crying. Husband just does what needs to be done. He went back to the deer to end her suffering and pull her out of the road. Once he does that and comes back while I still standing there unsure what to do. Do we need to call the cops? Do we go home? What do we do? Since it is now about 9:30pm on Labor Day night, and there is deer fur in the lights of my husband's car we do not call the police. Since the vehicles are driveable we head down the road to the gas station which was our destination already.

When we arrive at the gas station I have stopped crying and shaking. I fill up the truck and car with gas while we survey the vehicles for damage and confirm they are both driveable and head home.

While driving home I start to question my goal for having a small farm of goats, chickens, and a cow or two. If I just freaked out that bad about killing a deer I didn't know if  I could kill animals I raise? I ponder how in the last week we went from having 3 vehicles down to probably none. Also, I took a moment to be thankful we had the option to even borrow a vehicle since not everyone has that opportunity.

Suffice to say when I got home Husband and I had to have a chat to clear up some of the confusion that had sprung up in my head. He also confirmed that tomorrow he would be calling our car insurance people because his car was not driving quite right.

All I kept hearing in my head were two phrases over and over. "And then there were none." And, "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished."

The last time I had tried to help with the trash I had put a dent in the side of Husband's Dad's car.  I try to take out their trash again and we kill our last car. Great, just great.

That Tuesday, Husband ran around and dropped his car off to be repaired and to pick up a new rental while I worked and sent him a million text messages to find out what was going on.

Have you hit a deer before? If so when and what happened? Did you cry too or was that just me? Please let me know with a comment below!

I'm sorry I was late

Photo by Jp Valery on Unsplash

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Newlyweds,

I am writing this letter today to express my deepest sympathies and regret for being late in delivering your wedding dinner. I like most people, had the best of intentions, tried my best, and showed up an hour late with your food. Instead of having all the weeks and months of planning coming together like a well-oiled machine I stopped it like a nail in a tire. It doesn't ruin the car but it is inconvenient, annoying, problematic, and frustrating. 

I left the store with high hopes, little worries, and confidence I would be there on time. I punched in the address in google and started to make my way to play my small part in your big day.

The route Google took me was the back way. I had gone that way once before but not to your venue. The first time I was following a friend home so all I remembered of that trip was that it was a windy path.

As I listened to my audiobook Google would stop in to tell me to turn right or left here or there. I followed like an obedient child until it said that I had arrived at my destination to my bright but there was no one in sight. 

I had not passed any cars, nor balloons or arrows saying the venue name or the party's name. I was in the middle of nowhere and Google said I had arrived. I drove on a little bit further but the roads now all looked the same. I knew where I had come from but could not see where I needed to go.

I backed up to pull into the nearest house that could possibly host a wedding. There were no people, there were no cars. I feared to go further down the road for I did not know where it would take me and if I could get back. 

I got out of my truck and started to look frantically around to see if anyone was nearby. My phone suddenly dropped in battery life from straining to get a signal. I called your cell phones, but it went straight to voice mail. It makes sense since you would have been taking pictures and hugging all your guests. I called the store but my phone strained to connect but took it's last breath before we could talk. By this point, I was rushing around the house looking for a door or window to knock-on to see if anyone was home. As I bounced from one foot to the other I came to the conclusion no one was home and I need to find help. 

I ran back to my truck drove and back down the way I came. At this point I've hit full panic. I'm crying, while trying to stop crying, breathing in short shallow puffs. I'm talking to my self out loud for the next step I need to take.

What to do, what to do? 

The only thoughts I have in my head was to find a phone and that I am ruining your day. 

I stopped at the first house I saw and with shaking breaths and hands I knock on the door. I have to knock twice before I hear anything or anyone. Slowly the door is opened by an elderly gentleman. I quickly explain to him in near-hysterical breaths that I am trying to make a delivery for a wedding, I can't find the venue, I am lost and my phone has died may I use your phone.

Very shakily he lets me in his house and brings me his phone. He is wary and nervous of me as I keep breaking into small sobs while trying to pull myself together.  My crying is making him cry because he doesn't know what he can do help this mess of a person.

Now that I have a phone I call your phone numbers again and leave a message. I call the store back time after time after time but keep getting disconnected before I can talk to a person. My last hope is a friend that I have their number memorized. I call her and hear her answer and through tears and stifled sobs tell her what is happening, where I am at, and what I am trying to do. 

She tries to find me the correct address and point me in the right direction but the gentleman doesn't know his own address. I don't know if I have rattled him so much or if it's one of those I don't send myself mail type things. I look at the faded numbers on house and supply her with the information. She helps me the best she can and will call the store for me but in my panic hear a closer house number but ultimately not the right numbers for the venue.

I call the store back one more time and am able to reach a person. I tell them my problem and let them know what is happening. They tell me if the address I have provided is correct I am less than a mile from the venue. I say thank you and hang up the phone. Now that I have an idea of where I am going and know that I should be there soon. I thank the older gentleman and hop in my truck and am off.

While I pick the new direction I know that if I go more than a mile in any one direction now and don't see it then I've gone the wrong way. I zoom to the right nothing. I turn around, I zoom to the left nothing. The only way I have not tried is the direction I stopped going because it looked like more of the same. 

My leg is twitching, my hands are sweating, and tears randomly keep sliding down my cheeks. I want to make it to your wedding, I am trying to make it to your wedding but I cannot seem to find it.

I worry about my truck having problems. I worry about if it breaks down or runs out of gas between now and finding this event. I think about giving up and just going back to the store and putting this worrying on someone else's shoulders to carry. I did my best and it did not work. But then I think about how that would ruin your day and cause all your closets friends and family to go hungry with no local pizza place to supplement the food I have bouncing with me. 

As I fly around curves and places I see the numbers go down and then past the one I was looking for. 

Oh no! How did I miss it again! This cannot be happening. I didn't see anything!

It doesn't matter, I've got to find this place! I am now an hour late, everyone has to be starving. I back up and pull up the last driveway I had just passed. It opens to a huge house and two dogs hanging outside barking at me. 

I once again get out of the truck and walk towards the house. I go to knock on the door and see someone inside. Before I can knock on that door I hear a side door open. I go over to meet this new person. I quickly explain how I am lost, am so very late to this important event, I have no working phone or GPS and not sure where I need to go. Luckily, this person does know where your venue is located and quickly lets me know I am so close. I thank them profusely as they hold on to their dogs as I exit their driveway.

I ride down the road just a little further and I see your venue. I can see why you picked it. It is beautiful both the buildings and the grounds.

I see a lady with a walkie talkie and ask her where I need to go to drop off your food so I can finally go home and cry with relief instead of panic. She points me to the location. I jump out, use all the people that are looking to help's hands, and pull out and put your food out. We get it all set up and as I clean up I apologize for the 5th time to the owner and their helpers.

At this point, I had become numb and the tears thankfully stayed in my eyes as the owner told me in a very calm and professional way that this was unacceptable. People had expectations espcially on their big days and you cannot show up late for these types of events. 

I said yes sir, I agree sir, and you're right sir. If they call my manager he will make it right sir. I apologize sir from the bottom of my heart and am sorry.

I scribbled just such a note on the invoice that I hope you saw. 

It took me like an 8 point turn to get my truck out of the driveway so I could finally start back home.

I know it was your day, it was all about you, and I just wanted to let you know that I tried to make it all about you. I did everything in my power to make it there on time and just be a footnote in what I hope was overall a wonderful day. I feel like I became more of an active player and for that, I apologize and can only say one more time that I am sorry Mr. and Mrs. Newly Weds.

At this point, my letter has ended but I must follow up with the last part of my journey. I made it out of the driveway and made another wrong turn for home but the right turn in thanking the people who had helped me. The last house I stopped to point me to the venue were out walking. I was able to more clearly express my gratitude.

The older gentleman who was brave and kind enough to open his door to a near-hysterical woman was sitting outside his house. I pulled into his driveway and jumped out of my truck and give him a big hug and thanked him profusely for all his help. I also told him about if anyone else gets lost looking for a wedding venue to tell them to just keep going straight. We talked for just a few minutes before I had to part ways. 

I cried and thought about all the mistakes made and little things that added up to me being an hour late to this event. My tears kept falling as I told my co-workers, my boss, my friend, and my Husband.

I dinner was wine and brownies sprinkled with salty tears while I hope the newlyweds had cake. 

Beautiful day to sit on the side of the road

As I finished my race  10k race in Lynchburg I was excited to head back home. I had to go to work in a few hours so I was going to come home, shower, take a nap, before heading into work.

I was not 100% sure of the way home because my phone had died while I was running. I did have a car charger with me but apparently, there is a secret port according to Husband where I need to put it to get anything to charge. The most obvious one doesn't work? However, I didn't know that then nor do I know it now.

I follow one of the other races out of the neighborhood/park area and then start going down the road. Most of it looks familiar but I'm just not super confident since I don't visit this area very often.

I read all the signs, look for all the landmarks I saw on the way in and am doing okay until I think I go straight when I should have taken a right. It's okay because it all looks familiar from other trips so I keep going for a while. Until I hit the I don't think this is right at all and after taking a best guess end up on 460 West, which is exactly what I wanted. It took me longer than it should have to get pointed towards home but it's okay.

Traffic has picked up a little bit but not much, the sun is out, the sky is blue, the radio is on and I'm set on cruise control and looking forward to my shower and nap.

And then it happens.

While I'm heading up a hill I hear a noise, kind of like clunk, cruise control is disabled, and I feel the speed dropping, I hit the gas and hear the engine increase but do not feel any forward momentum.

Anyone who's been keeping up with some of my happenings in Her name is Abigail part 1, Her name is Abigail part 2, and Her name is Abigail part 3, knows I've been having a hard time with my car, so at this point, I'm thinking a few things very quickly.

1. I need to pull over to a safe spot
2. I cannot push this truck
3. I need to make sure I have the engine facing the road to help with jumps and tows.

That is exactly what I end up doing. Just at the top of the hill is some kind of shop or shop yard? There are no signs but there are some buildings and a road behind them that leads to some houses.

I pull into this area, point the truck towards the road, and turn it off and the on. It turns on and off super easily and like normal. The problem comes when I press the gas and the engine only revs and the truck stays unmoving.

Wonderful. Just. Wonderful.

What am I going to do? I need to call AAA and get some help with this truck. I don't see any moment tt around these shops but if I look up the road and to the other side I see some people. They have pop up tents and tables maybe I can borrow their charger for a little bit? Charge my phone enough to call for help?

I grab my bag and walk towards the tents.

They see me coming and I greet them with my best friendly, trying not to cry smile, and tell say hello, point to my truck stuck down on the other side of the road and explain my phone is dead and I was wondering if I could borrow some power to charge my phone.

They helped me find a plug and a USB charger and I plugged in and start to make the calls.

I first call AAA but I had misplaced my card since the last use and cannot seem to answer any of the questions right to identify myself. I say thanks and hang up and call the Broha to see if he can find the AAA card at home and send me a picture. While he is looking for the card I call my parents. They are the ones that give me the card each year and see if they can help me answer the questions I am failing. They also find an old card and give me the numbers off of that card at about the same time the Broha has found a copy. I write down the numbers and call triple AAA back.

This time I answer all their puzzles right and they tell me someone will be on their way shortly.

I thank all of the kind people, who I found out were out there for a yard sale, for all of their help.

I cross the road and go sit back in my truck.

By this time someone who must own the shop area I am in drives by and looks at me, leaves, and comes back and asks if I need help. I tell them thank you but no thank you a tow truck is on their way. They come back about 2 minutes later and give me a bottle of cold water. I say thank you very much.

As I sit in the truck, with the wind lightly blowing, the white clouds slowly chugging across the sky I really do think to myself, well, if you had to stop and get stuck somewhere, at least it is a very pretty day for it.

I call Husband, who is at work because it seems like he is almost always at work when things go sideways, to tell him of our newest adventures. He's like, I'm going to leave work and come get you. I tell him I appreciate it but AAA will be here soon and he cannot do anything and I'm in an okay spot. He's like okay, well, call me if you need anything.

AAA had said it would be about 30 minutes but it really turns in to be about an hour I am sitting on the side of the road as I panic and see my battery dying super fast but eventually the tow truck shows up.

I do seem to forget everyone's name but I can tell you that the good people at A&J Automotive Repair picked me up and made everything better. Okay, that's a lie, making everything better would have been them kicking the tires and my truck starting up and that didn't happen. However, they had my truck on their little bed and bring me back home in like less than 10 minutes.

The gentleman was super friendly, great at answering all my random automotive my questions, and brought me to our mechanics shop without any fuss.

I learned our drive that they are a new company less than a year old, at the time of this writing, based out of Lynchburg. They do all kinds of repairs and help poor souls like me stuck on the side of the road. I hope not to have to use their services again but if I'm in the Lynchburg area with problems I would give them a call.

A few minutes after A&J Automotive dropped the truck off at the repair shop Broha picked me up with all my bags of stuff to make it home. I didn't have time for a nap but I did get a shower before he brought me to work.

This, like most plans, did not go the way I had hoped, but if there was ever a day to stop and enjoy the Blue Ridge mountains, 9/1/2019 wasn't a bad day for it.

Anyone else get stuck in the middle of nowhere with a dead phone? If so please leave me your tale of woe with a comment below!

Top 6 in a 10K

Despite all of this card madness happening I still continued to try and do things already planned in my life. One of the things planned in my life happened on 9/1/2019. I decided to run a 10k in Lynchburg, VA.

Honestly, the race was randomly picked for three reasons. The first was that it was in a city I have never run in, Lynchburg, second it was a 10k and third it was in September.

The race I chose was being hosted by Bishop Events in Peak Views Park, and it was benefiting Fallen Patriots- MSG George A Bannar Jr. Scholarship.

I get up really early, throw two different outfits in the car with me, lots of water, and all the things I need to run with like my inhaler, hydration pack, knee braces, and some food.

The ride up is pleasant and very chill. There is very little traffic on the road on a Sunday around 6am. I'm enjoying the drive while listening to an audiobook about Catherine the Great. By the way, she is a fascinating read, or in my case listen.

When I arrive for this race pull into the parking lot and I have a moment of okay.....

I figured this might be a small race but the parking lot is pretty much empty. The race does have their table set up for packet pick up and the timer but no people are milling around. I didn't see the one random person that is having their own personal yoga session. Or the teenage boys that are running around in the least amount of clothing humanly possible. Or the matching friends that are coordinated in shirts and pants. I'm not judging I've done it, I'm just saying there are people I normally see at races.

I picked up my bib and t-shirt, went to the restroom and then put on my gear and wandered to the start line. By now there are a few more people there but not many. We are all kind of looking around being like okay, this will be smaller than I thought.

Well fast forward about 5 minutes and the race event is like well, all 6 people running the 10k are here we can start early if you want? Everyone is like, "Alright?" They explain the route and pretty much do a one, two, three let's go and we were off.

In this race, there were 4 women and 2 men. Within the first 3 minutes, I knew what place I was going to be in, 6 out of 6.

By the first 15 minutes, there was absolutely no doubt about my mind. Which, honestly is slightly discouraging for a few reasons.

The first is that any race or event or game you play the first thought is always anything but dead last. Which I now was.

Second, since it was two laps out and back I could see them running and they could see me running and how big the gap was getting.

Third, I knew I had been lacking in my training but I normally don't feel it so obvious.

Fourth and not least I never pay attention to the racecourse because I always assume there will be people in front of me. The answer to this was yes, they still were but with lots of gaps in between. It was a pretty easy noncomplicated race there was very little fear of me getting lost but still that bummed me out.

As the other runners kept going at a good pace I kept to my slow and steady trot while listening to music and just trying to take in the day.

It was muggy and the scenery was on a greenway so it was rolly but paved which I appreciated.

I think the three things that made me last the most was that while I was running at one point I was going so fast I could purposely not step on a daddy long leg. As I moved my foot easily out of his path I screamed in my head, "I saved your life!"

I did this at least two more times with a caterpillar and worm.

They did have a 5k that had more people, from what I could tell show up and participate. However, because I was so slow they were all gone by the time I finished.

There was one water station that I passed four times. It was being manned by a younger dude and he was super friendly. Since it was longer than a 5k I wore my hydration pack and told him on my second lap out(thrid time passing him) feel free to break everything down I have my own water I'm okay. When I came back though he was still there. I took a cup and drank some water out of appreciation.

The only sad part of this race was about the last 20 minutes my phone which was mapping my run while also playing music and by that time also doing my interval timing randomly turned itself off. It just died for no reason at the end of this run. My phone can do that sometimes but normally it makes it through runs. Apparently not that day.

The good news with any race I've ever taken on so far is even if they suck from the first footfall after the start line is that they eventually end. I will eventually have the pleasure of turning off my watch and stop stressing over what time it is.

As I crossed the finish line, the event staff, rightly so, were starting to wrap some of their items up. The 5 other people who had finished were nicely waiting for me to cross the line so we could begin the awards ceremony.

The other ladies took first, second, and third place, but I didn't feel bad, I took first in my age group.

A win is a win. Some call these participation awards I call it well earned.

Has anyone else come in last yet first before? If so when, where, and what were you doing? Please lease a comment below!